


Royal Expectations

by Stratagem



Series: Lion Cub [11]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Gen, Shallura family fluff, future!shallura family, princess power
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-27 21:37:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10817244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stratagem/pseuds/Stratagem
Summary: Shiro and Allura's daughter has a problem with Earth stories about royalty.





	Royal Expectations

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own VLD!
> 
> A/N: Future Shallura kid (Emi) is five in this one again. Also, she has five lion plushies. BECAUSE. Also, Nezumi is one of Shiro's nicknames for Emi. It means 'mouse' in Japanese. 
> 
> Aaaand, I post Voltron stuff on tumblr under the username: stardustandrobotlions. ^_^

Shiro was used to things being tossed around the Castle. Food, tech, weapons, toys, people, it was perfectly normal to see stuff being hurled from one place to another at least once a day. However, it was somewhat rare to see one of his daughter's old-school paperback picture books come soaring at him fullspeed. He had to step slightly to right to avoid getting beaned in the forehead.

"Didn't like the ending?"

"Dad!" Emi appeared over the back of the couch, her bright blue eyes surprised. "I didn't know anyone was there."

"Ah, okay, so you didn't mean to almost take my head off. Good to know." He grinned at her before bending down and picking up the picture book. There was a princess and a dragon on the cover, along with a prince with the most ridiculous shoulder pads ever. Huh, he didn't recognize this one, must've been new. "Where'd this come from?"

"I got it from the library," she said, "Back on Earth." They had visited earlier that week, meaning that they had set down outside of D.C. for a few days to conduct diplomatic business and check on the galactic embassy. Which basically meant that everyone had gone to a few meetings then hung out at Matt's place, enjoyed the city, and had a nice vacation before taking off again. Coran and Emi had gone to the library at some point, but Shiro had only seen the book on lions that Emi demanded they read together.

"You know, you probably shouldn't be throwing library books around," Shiro said. He walked over and flopped down on the end of the couch. "Librarians get grouchy about things like that."

Emi must've been reading for a while. There was a pile of munchies on the table and a slew of paper books around her, plus her tablet on the end table. She was curled up in the blanket that Hunk's mom had made her, and two of her lion plushies, Rouge and Gelb, were sitting on the middle of the couch. Azul was squished against the pillow behind her head while she had Kuro in her lap. Verde was nowhere to be seen, but that meant it was probably buried under all the books.

"Sorry," she said, "It just made me mad."

"Why?" he asked.

"Reasons," she said, lifting her chin, her tone perfectly mimicking Lance's when he was in a recalcitrant mood.

Shiro reached over and swiped little plushie black Kuro from her then proceeded to tickle her with it. "I demand actual reasons, young lady," he teased as he bopped Kuro against her face and neck and sides. She giggled and pushed the lion away before pulling her blanket up over her head and turning herself into a blanket potato. He poked the Emi-potato with the lion and then scooped her up into his arms. "Hey. What's wrong with the book? I'm trying to have a literary conversation right now. Discuss with me."

Emi's black and white haired head popped out of the blanket, her ponytail messy. "Do all princesses have to marry princes?"

"Huh?" That question had completely come from left field, and it was so sincere that it caught him off guard. "No…?"

"But that's what this book says!" she said. She scrambled across his lap and leaned over to snatch the book off the low table where he had set it. Flipping through the book, she came to a page and held it up to his face. "See?" Okay, so there was a princess getting married to a prince. Emi pulled the book back, flipped to a new page, and splayed it out again. Similar picture. "And here too. And the other story."

"It's just a book," Shiro said. A rather old-fashioned one but still just a book. "And I'm not a prince, and I married your mother."

Emi gave him the most incredulous look a five-year-old Altean-Human child could possibly muster up.

"What? I'm not!"

"You look like one," she said, "And you act like one. And you are one. You even have a crown."

"That was a joke." Shiro rolled his eyes, remembering the gift that the other paladins had given him for his birthday last year. That papier-mâché nightmare still haunted him. "I'm not a prince, Emi."

"Are too," she said again, "But does that mean I don't have to be a princess?" she asked, frowning, "Cause I don't think I want to get kidnapped by a dragon and have to marry some weird prince guy 'cause he recused me." She scowled and grabbed Kuro then squished the lion's face. "I wanna do the rescuing."

"I have no doubt that you would," Shiro said. He reached over and gently touched Emi's chin so he could tilt her face toward his. "You don't have to marry anyone you don't want to, Nezumi-chan. Okay?"

"Not even for the good of the kingdom?" She sighed and hugged Kuro. "I guess if I have to…"

Oh, but she looked so serious and long-suffering right now, it was hard to not laugh. She was too much like him and Allura sometimes; she would pick the noble road every time. To hide the grin on his face, he hugged her to him.

"I want you to be happy, whether you decide to marry someone or not," he said. He leaned back and pressed his forehead to hers for a moment. "So no getting married if you're not completely and utterly happy with it. Got it?"

"Mhmm," she said. She leaned backwards, her hands on his shoulders. "Soooo, if you say you're not a prince, and I'm still a princess, does that mean you have to do what I say?" A mischievous light brightened her clever blue eyes.

"Nope, because the role of dad gives me extra authority."

Emi stood up on the couch cushions and put her hands on her hips. "I order you to get me ice cream, subject."

Shiro raised an eyebrow. "Emi…"

"And I want a Retradian cyber pony! And a pool filled with hot fudge. And a little sister! Your princess commands you."

"Emi, no."


End file.
